Apparatus for ore concentration.



A H. HIGGINS.

APPARATUS FOR ORE CONCENTRATION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1914.

1,155,816. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

sTa ns TATE Effie ARTHUR HOWARD HIGGINS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MINERAL-S SEPARATION AMERICAN SYNDICATE (1913) LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR one CONCENTRATION.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR -HOWARD HIG- GINS, a subject of-the King of England, re-

' siding at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Ore Concentration, of which the scribed for-example in United States Patent 1,067,485 of July 15, 1913.

In the well-known agitation froth process as originally carried into practice and in the example thereof described with reference to the drawings in United States Patent No. 835120 the finely powered ore freely sus pended in water so as 'to form a pulp was violently agitated in such a waythat the supernatant air was beaten into the pulp for the formation of a froth. In the use of that form ofapparatus the surface of the .pulp in the agitation vessel is in a state of paratus' and in which theagitation violent turbulence and in. order to effect the formation and separation. of the mineral bearing froth the agitated and aerated pulp was led into a spitzkasten in which'the liquid was in a state of comparative rest,

whereuponthe gaseous b bbles and mineral particles adhering thereto rose to the surface and formed a persistent and co-herent froth. Many modifications of the apparatus have been devised, but prior'to the date'of my present invention aeration-has customarily been effected mainly'by the beating in of the supernatant air and the pulp ,in the upper part of the agitation vessel has been in a state of turbulence. In that method of beating in air, the amount of'air introduced into tlji expulp is'directly dependent upon the form e agitator and itsspeed of rotation. My invention'consists'of an ore concentration apparatus in which the air or other gas is introduced into the lower part of the apo the Specification of Letters Patent; I

Application filed Apri115, 1914. Serial No. 831 ,9 l0.

Patentedflct. 5, i915.

pulp and minute division of the air (or air emulsification) takes place in such lower part of the apparatus by means of an inclosed ag1tator and in which the agitated pulp and air emulsion are allowed to pass to g the upper part of the apparatus where means are provided for maintaining the pulp in a state of comparative quiescence where the froth is permitted to rise to the surface of the pulp and the emulsified air is also allowed to leave the pulp thus subjectv ing the quiet zone of the pulp to a continuous stream of minute air-bubbles.

My invention includes an apparatus in which the agitation and aeration of the pulp and the formation and flotation of the froth can takeplace in one vessel so that the mineral bearing froth can be produced continuously and removed from the surface of the pulp as soon as it is formed- One. form of apparatus according to this invention comprises a vessel provided at its lower part with an agitator'suitable for sub-. ect1ng the pulp to violent agitation and provided also at its lower part with means for introducing air into the vessel. -Means are also provided for introducing ore pulp 1nto the vessel and for removingthe contents desired mineral. The upper part of the vessel 1s providedwlthme'ans such as baffles for bringingthe upper part of the liquid to a state of comparative rest so that gaseousbubbles may rise through the still portion of the liquid and form a froth at its surface. At the top of the vessel is provided one or morefroth outlets and each or all of such outlets is arranged to discharge into a concentrates launder.

The invention will be best understood from the practical embodiments thereof which? Figure 1 illustrates in sectional elevation of ap aratus embodying this invention, and

'l is a vertical section of another form of ap aratus embodyingthis invention.

f; 1, is a vertical prism,

Fig.

Re rring to Fig.

which have been more or less depleted of the illustrated in the accompanying drawings in say of square cross-section and B a tapering upper portion having an open outlet C at the top.

D is a propeller or agitator near the bottom of the vessel mounted on a vertical rotatable spindle D.

E is an orifice for the introduction of air through a pipe E which may, if desired, be provided with a valve E In the tapering upper portion of the vessel B are arranged baflies F to keep the pulp there in a state of comparative quiescence. Around the outlet G and leading away therefrom is a concentrates launder G. An inlet for pulp H may be'arranged at any suitable position in the vessel and also an outlet for tailings J.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows :()re*pulp is introduced into the vessel A through the pulp inlet H together with any agents necessary to assist in the forma tion of a mineral bearing froth. The agitator D is rapidly rotated to subject the pulp to violent agitation in the lower part of the vessel A and air is introduced through the inlet E under pressure or otherwise. the pulp is brought to a state of comparative quiescence by the baflies F and at that part of the vessel the pulp is subjected to an upward current of minute air bubbles whereby the froth is formed at the surface of the pulp and passes through the outlet G into the concentrates launder G! The pulp may be introduced continuously through the inlet H and having been depleted more or less of the desired mineral the tailings may be removed continuously through the 4 outlet J.

Referring to Fig. Q'A is a vertical prism, say of square cross-section, open at the top. D is a propeller or agitator near the bottom of the vessel mounted on a vertical rotatable spindle D.

if desired, be provided'with a valve E In the upper part of the vessel A are' arranged baffies F which in this case are inclined baiiles projecting from the sides of the vessel, the objects of the battles being to keep the pulp in the upper part of the vessel in a state of comparative quiescence. Around the top of the vessel and leading away therefrom is a concentrates launder G. An inlet for pulp H-may be arranged at any suitable position in the vessel and also an outlet for tailings J.

Referring to Figs. l and-5 the arrangement is practically the same as before, but

in this case the upper portion of the vessel consists of a vertical chimney B considerably narrower than the vessel A and provided with fiat'sides with or without the addition of battles so that the pulp in the chimney B is maintained in a state of comparative rest.

In the upper part of the vessel B E is an orifice for the i nt ro v duction of air through a pipe E which may,

In the case of apparatus of the type illustrated in Fig. l, or in Figs. 2 and 3, or in Figs. 4 and 5 a plurality of such vessels may be employed in series, that is to say with the outlet J in the first vessel leading into the inlet H of the next vessel and so on.

Referring to Fig. 6 the apparatus illustrated in this case is one in which a single vessel-A is provided with a number of agitators D, a number of air inlets E and a number of froth outlets consisting of flat sided vertical chimneys B in the upper part, otherwise the construction and operation are the same as above described.

Referring to Fig. 7 the arrangement is the same'as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that the agitator D is inclosed in the lower agitation and aeration section A of the appa ratus from which the pulp passes freely into the upper zone B of the apparatus through a plurality of passages L shown as vertically arranged and joining the lower section A and the upper section B. These vertical passages act to some extent as baflles and their action is supplemented by inclined bafiles F such as heretofore described to produce substantial quiescence at the upper part of the pulp. In every case the introduction of air or other gas may, if desired, be efiected under pressure or may be effected by the action of the agitator itself.

A In all cases it is characteristic of this apparatus that it has a continuous feed and overflow, a continuous admission of air at the bottom and continuous agitation of the comparative quiescence whereby a mineral bearing froth will be formed in the vessel at the surface of the pulp and a concentrates launder for continuously removing the froth as it is formed. I

The advantages of this apparatus are inter alz'a as follows :-l[t is possible within wide limits to regulate the amount of gas employed for gaseous selection and flotation.

/ It is also possible to regulate the degree of division of the. air by the form and speed of the agitator. These are of. great importance because I find that with difi'erent ores or with a different character of sus: pended particles the total amount of air or the degree of division of the air may have a considerable efi'ect on the separation. Further the amount of frothing agent to be used may, when using this apparatus be considerably reduced from that necessary in employing the usual apparatus for the agitation froth process.

What I claim asmy invention and desire toseure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation, the combination of an agitation and separation vessel having a lower agitation zone and an upper separation zone, means for agitating and gasifying pulp in the agitation zone, and inclined and vertically elongated bafiie plates in the separation zone whereby comparative quiescence is maintained at the upper surface of the pulp for the removal therefrom of mineral froth.

2. In an apparatus for Concentrating ores by gaseous flotation, the combination of an agitation and separation vessel having a lower agitation zone and an upper separation zone, means for agitating and gasifying the pulp in the agitation zone, and a plurality of passages joining the agitation and separation zones and vertically elongated baflle plates in the separation zone whereby comparative quiescence is maintained at the upper surface of the pulp for the removal therefrom of mineral froth.

3. In an apparatus for concentrating ores by gaseous flotation, the combination of an agitation and separation vessel having a lower agitation zone and an upper separation zone, a rotatable agitator in the agitation zone and means for gasifying the pulp in said zone, and inclined and vertically elongated bafiie plates 1n the separation zone whereby comparative quiescence is maintained at the upper surface of the pulp for joining the agitation and separation zones and vertically elongated baflie plates in the separation zone whereby comparative quiescence is maintained at-the upper surface of the pulp for the removal therefrom of mineral froth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

ARTHUR HOWARD HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

STANLEY R. MOORE, W. E. ROGERS. 

